Dad diagnosed with Stage IV EC in August 2012

Susan 1234
Susan 1234 Member Posts: 7
in Esophageal Cancer #1

My dad was diagnosed with EC in August 2012.  The tumor is located at the GE junction and was almost 2 inches in size. He was a very strong, active, healthy 65 year old with no symptoms, not even acid reflux.  He started having pain in his stomach in July 2012, and was treated for acid reflux.  He ended up in the ER in August due to the pain and was diagnosed then.  At this point, the cancer remains to be the tumor and in various lymph nodes.  He has been on chemo since September 2012, every 3 weeks, with a couple of breaks, once due to pneumonia and once due to a rash.  Overall, he has done very well with it, the last PET scan in early November revealed that everything appeared to be shrinking.  He is scheduled for another PET scan in the morning and we should know the results tomorrow afternoon.  He lives in WV, and has an oncologist here for his treatment and he also sees a wonderful doctor at MD Anderson in Houston, TX every three months or so.

We are hopeful that the cancer will continue to shrink and he could possibly be a candidate for surgery.  More than anything, we are thankful to God, and praise Him for the positive news that we have gotten so far and my dad's tolerance to the chemo.

Any advice, feedback and prayers would be greatly appreciated.

Amy

 

Comments

  • Rickyr1219
    Rickyr1219 Member Posts: 53
    #2
    Prayers your way

    I was not a stage 4 patient so I'm short on advice but will lift your father up in prayer.  Your post sounds great and hope he continues to improves.  I am in the Houston area and go to MD Anderson with Dr Ajani being my Oncologist here.  I know it's a great hospital and send me a note if you are down this way again and in need of anything.

  • birdiequeen
    birdiequeen Member Posts: 319
    #3
    Amy, I will also keep you and

    Amy, I will also keep you and your dad in my prayers. I will pray for strength for his caregivers and continued response to the treatment for your Dad. 

  • Susan 1234
    Susan 1234 Member Posts: 7
    #4
    Rickyr1219 said:

    Prayers your way

    I was not a stage 4 patient so I'm short on advice but will lift your father up in prayer.  Your post sounds great and hope he continues to improves.  I am in the Houston area and go to MD Anderson with Dr Ajani being my Oncologist here.  I know it's a great hospital and send me a note if you are down this way again and in need of anything.

    Thank you!!

    Thank you so much!!!  My dad is actually in Houston now, and his doctor is Dr. Ajani.  We are so thankful that he is able to go there.  Thank you again for your kind words and prayers. . We should have an update and next steps by tomorrow.  Take care!!

    Amy

     

  • Susan 1234
    Susan 1234 Member Posts: 7
    #5
    birdiequeen said:

    Amy, I will also keep you and

    Amy, I will also keep you and your dad in my prayers. I will pray for strength for his caregivers and continued response to the treatment for your Dad. 

    Thank you!!!

    Thank you so very much, we appreciate your prayers more than words can ever express.  Thanks again & take care.

    Amy

  • Susan 1234
    Susan 1234 Member Posts: 7
    #6
    UPDATE - MD Anderson visit

    I just wanted to post this update regarding my dad's progress in an effort to give hope to others.  We received good news again after going to MD Anderson, my dad's PET scan revealed further improvement that the cancer is continuing to shrink.  He will continue on with current chemo regiman - Oxaliplatin (every 3 weeks) & Xeloda (pill form) and will go back to MD Anderson in 3 months.  We are so thankful for his wonderful doctor.  My dad also met with the clinical trial team, which will probably come into play later.

    As always, we give God all the praise & glory for his progress, and are hopeful that it will continue and my dad can beat this horrible disease.

    Amy

     

     

  • jaycc
    jaycc Member Posts: 122
    #7
    Susan 1234 said:

    UPDATE - MD Anderson visit

    I just wanted to post this update regarding my dad's progress in an effort to give hope to others.  We received good news again after going to MD Anderson, my dad's PET scan revealed further improvement that the cancer is continuing to shrink.  He will continue on with current chemo regiman - Oxaliplatin (every 3 weeks) & Xeloda (pill form) and will go back to MD Anderson in 3 months.  We are so thankful for his wonderful doctor.  My dad also met with the clinical trial team, which will probably come into play later.

    As always, we give God all the praise & glory for his progress, and are hopeful that it will continue and my dad can beat this horrible disease.

    Amy

     

     

    Oxaliplatin

    Wonderful to hear such good news from your PET scans. Oxaliplatin does seem to help greatly in getting rid of these EC cells. Did you dad get tested for HER-2 gene , if so they usually discuss Hersceptin, more a question for the doctors. 

  • Rickyr1219
    Rickyr1219 Member Posts: 53
    #8
    Susan 1234 said:

    UPDATE - MD Anderson visit

    I just wanted to post this update regarding my dad's progress in an effort to give hope to others.  We received good news again after going to MD Anderson, my dad's PET scan revealed further improvement that the cancer is continuing to shrink.  He will continue on with current chemo regiman - Oxaliplatin (every 3 weeks) & Xeloda (pill form) and will go back to MD Anderson in 3 months.  We are so thankful for his wonderful doctor.  My dad also met with the clinical trial team, which will probably come into play later.

    As always, we give God all the praise & glory for his progress, and are hopeful that it will continue and my dad can beat this horrible disease.

    Amy

     

     

    Great to hear

    Great to hear the Chemo is Working...  I like Dr Ajani but sometimes I felt he was just a lil too soft spoken sometimes.  My treatment is a clinical trial and Dr Lynn I believe is the head of that. 

  • Susan 1234
    Susan 1234 Member Posts: 7
    #9
    Rickyr1219 said:

    Great to hear

    Great to hear the Chemo is Working...  I like Dr Ajani but sometimes I felt he was just a lil too soft spoken sometimes.  My treatment is a clinical trial and Dr Lynn I believe is the head of that. 

    Thank you to Rick and Jaycc

    Thank you to Rick and Jaycc for your responses. Yes, my dad is being tested for the HER-2 gene. They said it would be several weeks before we knew the result of that. And I do believe they discussed Herceptin with him.  They said to date that they believed it has put 2 patients in remission.  My question is (I was not there for the visit), how many patients have they tried this drug on?  Do either of you know?

    Again, thank you for your responses, it really does help being able to talk to others that understand this terrible disease.  I am also wondering what the percentage of people that end up with this disease have acid reflux problems, I think in my dad's case, he could have been experiencing silent reflux and not realized it but noone has confirmed that.

    Take care & God Bless.

    Amy

  • callerid
    callerid Member Posts: 96
    #10
    Susan 1234 said:

    Thank you to Rick and Jaycc

    Thank you to Rick and Jaycc for your responses. Yes, my dad is being tested for the HER-2 gene. They said it would be several weeks before we knew the result of that. And I do believe they discussed Herceptin with him.  They said to date that they believed it has put 2 patients in remission.  My question is (I was not there for the visit), how many patients have they tried this drug on?  Do either of you know?

    Again, thank you for your responses, it really does help being able to talk to others that understand this terrible disease.  I am also wondering what the percentage of people that end up with this disease have acid reflux problems, I think in my dad's case, he could have been experiencing silent reflux and not realized it but noone has confirmed that.

    Take care & God Bless.

    Amy

    Herceptin

    My husband will be starting Herceptin this week and it is good to hear some positive response to this drug. Apparently only one in five tests positive for this HER2 neu gene. Best of luck to your dad.

    And I know how you feel. God gets all the glory (although the doctors might not agree with that)

    Deb

  • Susan 1234
    Susan 1234 Member Posts: 7
    #11
    callerid said:

    Herceptin

    My husband will be starting Herceptin this week and it is good to hear some positive response to this drug. Apparently only one in five tests positive for this HER2 neu gene. Best of luck to your dad.

    And I know how you feel. God gets all the glory (although the doctors might not agree with that)

    Deb

    Herceptin

    Thank you, Deb.  You & your husband will be in our prayers.  Please keep us updated on how your husband does with it.

    Take care.

    Amy

  • goty2001
    goty2001 Member Posts: 71
    #12
    Susan 1234 said:

    Thank you to Rick and Jaycc

    Thank you to Rick and Jaycc for your responses. Yes, my dad is being tested for the HER-2 gene. They said it would be several weeks before we knew the result of that. And I do believe they discussed Herceptin with him.  They said to date that they believed it has put 2 patients in remission.  My question is (I was not there for the visit), how many patients have they tried this drug on?  Do either of you know?

    Again, thank you for your responses, it really does help being able to talk to others that understand this terrible disease.  I am also wondering what the percentage of people that end up with this disease have acid reflux problems, I think in my dad's case, he could have been experiencing silent reflux and not realized it but noone has confirmed that.

    Take care & God Bless.

    Amy

    Similar route

    I was diagniosed stage IV inoperable in June, had a very similar chemo regime - was tested Her2 positive and started Herceptin in Sept.  Gradually went off other chemo - ending Xeloda in december, now Herceptin is the only treatment I'm on and I'm feeling great.  I'm in maintenance mode - which is what my onco calls remission.  Everything reduced & stabeilized.  But surgery not an option, and probably never will be.  Don't believe in miracles (how anybody here does beats me) but just maybe there will be more drug advancements around the corner in time for me .. and meantime continuing my own fight on nutrition front, avoiding meat, dairy, and sugar as much as I can.   I still prepare for bad news with every scan (next one Friday).

     

  • Susan 1234
    Susan 1234 Member Posts: 7
    #13
    Update - One Year Since EC Diagnosis

    I just wanted to provide an update on how my dad is doing.  It has been a year since my dad went to the ER with stomach pain & shortly thereafter was diagnosed with EC.  So far, we have been tremendously blessed & our prayers have been answered.  He is doing great.  He has been on chemo only & we were told at the last visit at MD Anderson that he may be a candidate for a radiation in October when he goes back.  He has done very well with the chemo to this point.

    Any guidance for next steps would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you & God Bless.

    Amy

  • Josie60
    Josie60 Member Posts: 80
    #14
    I am glad you dad is

    I am glad you dad is responding to the treatment.  FYI  oxailplaitn is normally limited to about 12 rounds due to neurapathy issues.  I am also stage 4 due to it reoccurring in lymph nodes after initial treatment.  I've be on xoleda and oxailplaitn since October.  Everyone reacts differently to the drugs, this combo worked for awhile but the recent Pet scan shows more nodes involved

  • Deathorglory
    Deathorglory Member Posts: 364 Member
    #15
    Hope all continues to go well

    Hello,

     

    MD Anderson is top drawer stuff.  Nice choice, that makes two tons of a difference.  Radiation after the chemo will likely have minimal effects on you.  If you were able to endure oxaliplatin & xeloda, the radiation shouldn't make you flinch.  

    Hope all continues to go well,

    Ed

Discussion Boards